February 15, 2000 - 7:00 PM - County Board of Commissioners Meeting Minutes (Special)

10 56 February 15 , 2000 Special Called Meeting The Johnston County Board of Commissioners met in Special Joint Session with the Johnston County Board of Education on Tuesday , February 15 , 2000 , at 7 00 pm in the Emergency Operations Center located in the Johnston County Courthouse Law Enforcement Center , Smithfield , North Carolina , with the following members Present James H Langdon , Jr , Chairman , Cookie Pope , Vice - Chairman , Jerry F Wood , DDS , Eleanor N Creech , Thomas M Moore , Wade M Stewart and Allen L Mims , Jr Absent None Also Present Rick Hester , County Manager , Joyce H Ennis , Clerk to the Board , John R Massey , Finance Officer , School Administration Staff and Board of Education Members Chairman James H Langdon , Jr called the Board of Commissioner’s meeting to order Chairman DeVan Barbour , called the School Board meeting to order Chairman Langdon thanked the School Board for agreeing to the joint meeting to discuss school concerns He noted the two boards have worked well together and share the same goals for the future He asked Mr Barbour to begin the meeting with a recap of current information on the school system and facility needs Mr Barbour reviewed the out - of - capacity worksheet for all the schools and noted Johnston County is one of the fastest growing school systems in the state He pointed out that the proposed West Johnston High School , which will pull students from South Johnston and Clayton High , will not solve the overcrowding problems in Clayton and areas north of Clayton He suggested another high school will be needed , possibly in the Archer’s Lodge area , by 2004 - 2005 The design capacity for West Johnston High is 1500 students , the majority of which will come from South Johnston He reviewed the projects completed since 1994 and the ones to be completed by August 2002 , all of which have been funded He then outlined the Facilities 2003 - Phase Two projects and noted the School Board has proposed an additional bond referendum for approximately 72,850,000 to fund these in 2001 Mr Barbour completed his overview by introducing the Facilities 2007 project list with an estimated price tag of 141,550,000 , which includes a 5 inflation factor built into the equation At this point the meeting was opened for questions and comments Commissioner Allen L Mims , Jr asked if the Board of Education was giving any consideration to four - track year - round schools in Johnston County He pointed out this would eliminate some overcrowding problems , at least for a time School Superintendent James Causby responded that the four - track year round school system does allow 33 more students in the same facilities ; however , he does not favor this as it is , in his opinion , difficult for students , teachers and school maintenance personnel Chairman Barbour agreed and stated the School Board prefers to go forward with the traditional school year Commissioner Mims asked how the Board of Education felt about a recent proposal for giving taxing authority to school boards Chairman Barbour responded his board tabled a request to adopt a resolution in support of this Commissioner Cookie Pope noted the citizens in the County want more efficient use of our schools Chairman Langdon agreed and pointed out the School Board has done a great job in providing cost efficient facilities by using a standard design He stressed the importance , in his opinion , of keeping our schools safe and small in size Commissioner Thomas M Moore voiced concern about how the County will find funds for all the projects mentioned He pointed out that borrowing money is expensive ; it costs approximately 172 to pay back each 1 spent If citizens do not feel the money is being spent wisely , the County will have a difficult time getting another bond issued passed He questioned whether the County could continue to meet these needs without an additional source of revenue or raising taxes He expressed hisPage57 continuing support of the school system , noting he wants Johnston County Schools to be the best in the nation ; but feels strongly both boards need to work toward saving money for classrooms Commissioner Moore suggested that classrooms should take priority over things such as paved parking lots and athletic fields He noted students could park on gravel , and asked if the Board of Education had considered making West Johnston High School a magnet all - academic school without expensive facilities required for competitive high school sports He pointed out students interested in sports could attend one of the other five high schools in the County He suggested it would be good to look at the number of students who are participating in football , basketball and baseball , and how much the County is spending to support these programs He proposed a survey be conducted to see if parents would support the idea of an all - academic school In another area for possible savings , he suggested the County explore the idea of a combined maintenance facility for all County government Discussion on these ideas ensued Several Commissioners mentioned concerned calls from parents about a shortage of textbooks , playground equipment , and programs for exceptional children Dr Causby assured the Board that although expensive , textbooks are available for all students , and the County is providing exceptional children’s programs based on the funds available for these projects st He pointed out the funds have an artificial cap based on student population as of April 1 , which with Johnston County’s growth , is significantly increased by the beginning of the school year Concerning playground equipment , he noted PTA’s traditionally have provided this equipment , but now it is included with new school construction costs Board of Education member , Kay Carroll , voiced concern that Commissioner Moore indicated in his comments that the County might have to raise taxes to pay for another bond issue He reminded the Board the financial model , which was prepared by the Barents Group last year , stated the County could pay for 150,000,000 in bonds Facilities 2003 , phase I and II without a tax increase He stated he has heard nothing to indicate the model predictions have changed Several Commissioners responded that they felt comfortable that the financial model’s predictions are sound Commissioner Wade M Stewart agreed , but noted both County Government and the School System will have to live within the parameters set by the model in order for this to work Commissioner Stewart mentioned the recent performance audit of County Government departments and agencies and asked the Board of Education why they decided not to have this done Chairman Barbour stated the cost was prohibitive at 47,000 County to Fund Performance Audit for Schools Following discussion , Commissioner Stewart moved the Board approved the following budget amendment to provide necessary funds , up to 47,000 , from contingencies for an audit by MGT of school administration Commissioner Jerry F Wood seconded the motion , which carried by unanimous vote Department Education FUN BUDGET LINE ITEM REQUESTED CHANGE D CODE CLASSIFICATION EXPENDITURE INCREASE DECREASE 10 63009000 School Current Expense 47,000 10 58555710 Contingencies 47,000 The Board of Education , by a vote of six to one , accepted the Commissioners ’ offer to pay for their performance audit In response to the questions that were raised by the Commissioners , Mr Barbour stated the School Board would be glad to respond to any further questions the Commissioners might have and suggested they be submitted to his office in writing Several Board of Education members expressed appreciation to the Board of Commissioners for the open communication and their commitment to the children in Johnston County Page58 Commissioner Eleanor N Creech noted she will be leaving the Board in the fall , but will not lose her interest in the children of our County She questioned whether the County can continue to find the necessary funds to meet the growing needs unless additional revenue sources are identified There being no further business , Commissioner Cookie Pope moved the Board adjourn Commissioner Allen L Mims , Jr seconded the motion , which carried by unanimous vote _______________________________________ James H Langdon , Jr , Chairman _____________________________ Joyce H Ennis , ClerkPage